by Poulomi Pal
My daughter and I love making dolls with paper, wool, cloth, anything we can lay our hands on. A few days ago, when she joyfully came forward with a doll she had made with crumpled paper and crayon markings, a visitor to our home observed that her doll was incomplete, because it didn’t have eyes or legs or hands.
Seeing my daughter somewhat bewildered and hurt by the remark, I waited for the person to leave and then spoke with her. She was upset at the thought of her doll being incomplete. To her, it was a labour of love with full potential for play. And on my part, I needed to explain that it’s absolutely okay to have dolls who may have some parts missing, as long as you play with them, adore them and are aware of their needs.
As a result of this conversation, I began to look for stories and books that included children with disabilities. Two of my personal favourites, Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, and Wonder by R.J. Palacio would hardly suit a four-year-old so I decided to leave them aside for the present and look for something more age-appropriate. I needed engaging stories which suggested that the protagonists might have specific needs and abilities but they also love the things that most other kids love: freedom, adventure and breaking adult-rules! Here are three stories that my daughter enjoyed:
Macher Jhol (Fish Curry) by Richa Jha (Pickle Yolk Books)
When Gopu’s Baba (father) falls sick during Durga Pooja, the little boy decides to travel across Kolkata alone to get him macher jhol from Dida’s (grandmother’s) house. My daughter who has a Dida of her own in Kolkata was immediately drawn into Gopu’s world. Sumanta Dey’s illustrations beautifully capture the festivities of Durga Pooja as well as Gopu’s experience of the sounds and smells of the city. It’s only at the end of the book that we find out about Gopu’s disability which makes his adventures even more fun and exciting.
Clumsy by Ken Spillman (Tulika Publications) is a book that peers deep into our souls, pulling out childhood memories of being labelled and bullied. Although it suggests that the little protagonist (who we only know by her hurtful nickname, ‘Clumsy’) could be autistic, the book never directly mentions autism. Instead, it speaks of the social exclusion that children face when they are perceived as different.
In a world where everyone is expected to conform to straightjacketed expectations and remain within the boundaries of ‘acceptable’ behaviour, what happens to those who hum a different tune? Manjari Chakravarti’s illustrations enable us to feel the little girl’s hurt and frustration, and her shrinking self-esteem, till she discovers her talent through which messy, ‘clumsy’ hands become creative and confident. After reading this book, we had an interesting conversation on difference and acceptance.
Abba’s Day by Sunaina Ali (Katha Publications)
Cleverly illustrated by Debasmita Dasgupta, Abba’s Day is a simple story of how Aisha’s family spends their Sunday. At Aisha’s house, like in our home, it’s Abba and Ammi’s holiday. So Abba takes care of the kitchen while Ammi catches up on her reading. They make a trip to the market and then get on with dusting and sweeping. Aisha is a great help in all of these, just like my four-year-old who helps in mopping and dusting and arranges books and pictures. Aisha’s disability is only evident in the illustrations, suggesting that it is just one aspect of the story and not a very important one at that.
In a couple of years, we will read Zainab Sulaiman’s Simply Nanju and Susie Will Not Speak by Shruti Rao. For now, we’re busy creating dolls named Aisha and Gopu which aren’t perfect, but if a visitor points that out, we just shrug and say, ‘yes, and that’s okay’.
Pickle Yolk Books, Katha and Tulika are independent children’s book publishers who place great emphasis on the aesthetic appeal of their publications.
Poulomi is a development professional, a book-hoarder and mother to a budding bibliophile and artist. She regularly contributes to Latha’s Library. Read another of her posts here.
It is so good to see that so many people celebrate being different these days.